Sustainability

Earth Day Every Day

Care And Respect the Earth

Virginia Western Community College is committed to operating the college in a way that responsibly utilizes our natural resources. We encourage our Faculty, Staff, and Students to engage in behavior that supports conservation and sustainability.

VW Sustainability Committee Best Practices

The following is a list of "best practices" developed by the Virginia Western Sustainability Committee. It is designed as a practical guide to follow with the hopes of making your daily routine more environmentally sound and to promote sustainable practices in and around the Virginia Western campus community.

Computers

Shut down your computer at the end of every workday.

Lights

Turn out office lights when not in office.

Consider whether it is necessary to run all of the lights in the classroom and/or office.

When using overhead projectors turn off some or all lights.

Textbooks

Consider whether it's possible to even go beyond the VCCS recommendation/mandate for using the textbook for three years.

Consider use of ebooks as well.

Recycling

There is a battery recycling bucket in every division.

Call the Help Desk to have toner cartridges picked up.

Appliances

Coffee makers rather than having a pot with a heating element that stays on, use a one-cup coffee maker with a paper pod, rather than a plastic pod to save on waste, and then compost the pod.

Remove personal refrigerators from individual offices and use community refrigerators instead, where possible.

Do not use space heaters as they create a self-defeating cycle in the HVAC system which creates serious energy waste. Dress warmer?

Alternative Methods of Disseminating Information

Eliminate flyers on campus by using the VWConnect, webpage, even emails instead.

Use half-sheets when possible, if printing is needed.

Use the Printing Services department when possible, this saves on toner and electricity.

Use Blackboard for all handouts, including course syllabi.

Use Blackboard for assignment submission and for testing.

Save Powerpoints so they must be printed four or six slides to a page.

VWCC

VWCC Alerts

We use VW Alert to immediately contact you during a major crisis or emergency.